


Ocean and Atlantic

by artem_ace



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: AU, Depression, F/F, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Minor Character Death, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Past Child Abuse, Past Drug Addiction, Past Drug Use, Pipabeth - Freeform, Punk!Percy - Freeform, Skateboarding, Suicidal Thoughts, jercy - Freeform, past suicidal actions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-30
Updated: 2015-07-01
Packaged: 2018-03-20 08:49:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3644109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artem_ace/pseuds/artem_ace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason is only trying to get some sleep when Piper Mclean enters his bedroom at four in the morning, but ends up falling in love (quite literally) </p><p>(or the one where Piper is hella gorgeous (and hella gay), Percy skateboards, and Jason ponders life (and sleep)) </p><p>*(title taken from Mayday Parade and unrelated to the actual story)</p><p>Warnings: Bipolar disorder/manic depression, implied past self-harm, memories of past suicidal thoughts and actions<br/>Very brief mentions of: past drug use, past child abuse, past alcohol abuse, minor character death (very minor) </p><p>(possible smut in later chapters I haven't decided)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Tragic Loss of Sleep Vs. the Boy with the Green Eyes

There is a kind of peace that comes with the miracle of undisturbed sleep. A quietness of the body and mind that every person craves. A calm that settles over oneself, almost like a blanket gently cast over the body of a young child by his mother.

Jason Grace, however, does not get to experience this quietness when he is awoken by the gentle words of Piper McLean. And by gentle words, one may also mean to say:

“Get out of bed you lazy fucker.”

Jason groans and rolls over to his side, pulling the comforter tighter around himself. He feels the bed sink down as she sits. Grateful for Piper choosing not to bother him for once, Jason pushes his head further beneath his covers.

All of a sudden, the bed starts quaking and Jason realizes that Piper is not sitting, but jumping on the bed next to him. He’s thrown from his comfortable position, and almost hits his head on the nightstand before coming to his senses.

"Oh my god! Pipes, what are you doing?" He exclaims in a hushed whisper, attempting to pull her down. She falls on top of him, her face landing approximately three inches from his own.

She props her chin on his chest and stares at him with a serious look in her eyes. “Jason, I’m sorry to tell you, but it is absolutely  _vital_  that you get up this very moment.”

Jason groans and shoves her off. She rolls onto the other side of the bed and continues to the floor, landing in some roundabout half cartwheel that brings her into a standing position.

Grabbing his glasses, Jason rubs the sleep out of his eyes. He looks up with a start and gives Piper a wary glance. “Piper how the hell did you manage to get into my house at-” he checks the stormtrooper clock on his nightstand- “ _4 am?_ ”

Piper points at the open window. Jason’s eyes widen.

"You- oh my- Piper, you did  _not_  climb up my fucking house to get in here!” He struggles to keep his voice down.

Piper only shrugs, silently declaring that,  _yes_ , she did climb into his second story window in the pitch black not-yet-morning.  _Oh my god._

She pulls a shirt from his closet and kicks a pair of jeans on the floor towards his bed. “Look alive Grace, we’ve got places to go and people to see.” And with that she jumps delicately from the window, leaving a tired and befuddled Jason behind with a T-shirt in his lap.

—

Jason shivers. He admires Piper’s large hoodie (stolen from himself, of course) and wishes he had the sense to grab something heavier than the light sweatshirt that was less than effective at blocking the chill wind. His breath comes out in little puffs, the way it did when he was seven and he pretended he was a dragon. And the way it does when he is 17 and he pretends to understand his beautiful best friend.

"So are you going to tell me what we’re doing?" He asks. They’re standing in his driveway. After Piper threw herself from his room like the maniac she is, Jason got dressed and joined her, going through the front door like a normal person.

Piper smiles at him and reaches into a nearby bush. She pulls out two skateboards and wiggles them in front of Jason’s face. He crosses his arms and refuses to take one.

"No," he says simply, trying to shove the board into Piper’s arms. She doesn’t oblige and drops it at his feet, then sets her board on the ground and takes off.

"C’mon loser," she calls over her shoulder.

"You know I can’t skate," he calls back attempting to keep his voice down so as not to wake his neighbors. Even though she’s now a good ten feet ahead of him, he can see her sigh. She makes a show of picking up her board and trudges back to him.

"I don’t know why I put up with you,"  she states, poking him in the chest with her index finger. "I’m teaching you tonight, then we can actually get to places on time." She begins walking this time, in the same direction as before.

Jason jogs to catch up with her.

"What’s these ‘places’ you speak of?"

"You’ll see."

Jason stops in his tracks. “Piper Elizabeth McLean if you are taking me to a strip club I swear-“

"Calm your tits Grace, you don’t even have a fake I.D," Piper says, rolling her eyes and pulling him along. "Listen, okay? Every other day I find you reading books or watching your weird  _hipster_  movies, waiting for your turn for something to happen. Well this is your chance! Trust me, Jason, these are supposed to be the best years of our lives. Live a little!” She spreads her arms and twirls around. “I promise, this will be fun.”

"If your idea of fun is sneaking out of the house at 4am, I’m not sure I want a part of it," he replies. His words are useless. They both know he’s following Piper wherever she goes.

"I’m not drinking," he says as a last resort. Piper bumps their hips together as they walk.

"And I wouldn’t expect you to. No alcohol, no drugs, no sex. Just some boards and some really cool people."

Jason frowns at the board in his hand. It’s a generic black with red wheels and a sticker that’s almost completely rubbed off. He’s not sure where Piper’s gotten it, but he wouldn’t be surprised if she found it in some 12 year old’s dumpster.

Piper’s board is a lot prettier. It’s a soft shade of yellow and white, almost like the sun. It’s decorated with the silhouette of a flock of birds, all racing into the rising sun. It’s in good shape despite its frequent use.

"What if we don’t have anything in common?" He asks. He’s never met these people Piper is mentioning. The only thing he knows is that they’re  _cool_ and they like to hang out in secret locations in the middle of the night.

Piper reaches out to grab his hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

"It’ll be fun," she promises. "Besides, you’ll finally get to meet Annabeth!"

Annabeth Chase, beautiful goddess, honor student, and the current object of Piper’s affections. Although he’s never even seen the girl, Jason almost feels like he knows her personally from all the times Piper has gushed over her. She’s smart, evidently, and tall, with “ _piercing gray eyes the exact same shade of a cloud right before a thunderstorm_ ”.

Piper’s always loved thunderstorms and Jason’s always loved Piper, (albeit platonically), and seeing her happy is one of his favorite things. She’s humming now, swinging her arms along to a beat she’s made in her own head.

And Jason notices how the moon illuminates the blush on her cheeks that comes from thinking about Annabeth and wonders if being in love is all it’s cracked up to be.

—

The place Piper takes him is only 20 minutes from his house. He’s never been here before. A large archway stands in front of him, forming a tunnel the size of a football field. Upon closer inspection, Jason realizes that the tunnel isn’t complete. Part of it is covered in graffiti and looks like an unfinished elementary school art project.  There are teens at the mouth of the tunnel, dancing to a beat Jason can’t hear.

"What  _is_  this place?” He tearing his gaze away from the scene to look at Piper. Her mouth is open in a wide grin.

"This, my friend, is  _the_  place. They call it The Tunnel,” she whispers, like she’s letting him in on some big secret.

"…. the tunnel."

Jason thinks that the kind of people who sneak out at all hours to have strange teenage parties in abandoned construction sites should at least be creative enough to give this place an edgier name. He expresses this out loud and Piper elbows him.

"Don’t be rude," she says. He flicks her in the ear and she sticks out her tongue, before brightening once again.

"Shall we?" She asks, holding out her arm (ever the gentlewoman).

"If I must," Jason pretends to sigh, looping their arms together. They skip to join the other rebels at the opening of the tunnel.

As they get closer, Jason begins to hear the music the kids are dancing to. It’s some sort of electronic sounding song, and he swears he’s heard it before, but he can’t remember where. Except he hasn’t, because it’s new and  _this_ is new, and  _he_  is new, and everything about this moment is different from every other moment in his life leading up to it.

The inside of the tunnel is completely different from the outside. While the outer walls of the tunnel contain some half assed graffiti, the inner walls are completely covered in beautiful paint that can only be described as art. Temporary lights have been strung up, casting strange shadows across the floor. All around him people are laughing, drinks in hand, hands on hips, hips on…

"Get a room!" Piper scoffs and the couple gives her an apologetic look before taking Piper’s advice and leaving. At least they were polite about almost having sex in front of almost hundreds of people.

Jason continues taking in the tunnel when his gaze finally lands on the direct center and-

"It’s a skate park!"

Piper grins. “Yeah. Well, I think it was supposed to be anyway. They never finished. The Pool is the only thing that’s complete.

What Piper refers to as “The Pool” is more of a pit than a pool. It has to be over 30 feet long and at least  60 feet wide, taking up much of the space in the center of the tunnel. It’s a huge hole inside the ground and it’s filled with people skating. A guy with long brown hair suddenly pops up onto the pool’s edge and continues skating, brushing past Jason with ease.

"Wow." Even  _Jason_ has to admit this set up is pretty sweet. He’s still trying to take everything in when he noticed Piper looking for something- someone actually.

"Do you see Annabeth?" He asks. She shakes her head, a frown appearing on her lips.

"No, but Percy said she should be here…."

"Percy?" It was a name Jason hadn’t heard before. To be honest, when it came to Piper, the only name she’s ever mentioned is Annabeth.

Piper pats his arm absent-mindedly, still looking for her girl. “Yeah, he’s great you’ll love him.” She wanders over to an unmanned cooler.

"Want a drink?" she offers, opening the chest.

Jason wrinkles his nose. “I thought you said no alcohol.”

Piper rolls her eyes and tosses him a can. It reads ‘ _Diet Coke_.’

"S’not alcohol," she says, opening her can of Sprite. "Straight-edge party. They don’t do that shit."

 _Oh_. Jason opens his own soda and takes a sip. He and Piper waltz over to a less crowded area in the tunnel.

Before he can take another sip, Piper takes his Coke and sets it on a nearby table. She then steals his skateboard and sets it down in front of him.

"Get on."

Jason stares at her. “No?” He replies, reaching for his drink. Piper stops him with a hand on his chest.

"Jason, I brought you here to teach you my ways with the board. Now be a good student and  _get on_.” Piper is glaring up at him, and despite the almost foot difference, Jason can’t help but be just a  _bit_ intimidated.

He gets on the board.

After about fifteen minutes, Jason is finally able to at least balance without killing anybody. Piper is actually not a half bad teacher when she tries, and Jason doesn’t have any broken bones yet which is a plus. She teaches him how to take off, by pushing his foot against the ground and maintaining his balance on the board with his other.

He follows her instructions and maybe pushes just a bit  _too_  hard because all of a sudden he’s flying and _wow, he didn’t know boarding could be this much fun_. The pace is faster than he anticipated, but that only adds to his excitement, and Jason is actually considering this whole skating thing when he finds himself chest to face with another human being.

The momentum he had is now throwing him forward, bringing the other person down with him. Jason catches himself with his hands to avoid landing directly on the figure below him, and the rough terrain of the tunnel floor digs into his hands.

The guy below him had automatically grabbed onto him as a reaction to falling and is digging his fingers into Jason’s hips. Jason’s hands are burning, but he doesn’t notice.

Instead his attention is captivated by the boy beneath him. More specifically, the boy’s eyes. They’re the brightest shade of green, an impossible shade of green, and Jason’s about to ask himself how somebody’s eyes could even be  _that_  green and  _that_  bright when the eyes speak.

Well, not the eyes, but the boy  _with_  the eyes and even his voice contains the same bright shade of green.

"Hey dude," the guy laughs, his fingers relaxing on Jason’s hips, but his hands still resting in place. "Thanks for not crushing me."

And then the boy smiles and his eyes aren’t the brightest thing Jason’s seen anymore because now he’s seen his smile and  _wow_. They stay like that while Jason tries to think of some way to reply. The green-eyed boy’s eyes are sparkling like his smile and that’s the first time Jason Grace meets Percy Jackson


	2. The Difference Between Falling in Love and Falling on People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason and Percy get to know each other

  
  


Love is a strange concept. Falling in love is a stranger one. People fall in love in different ways, all at their own pace. There are those who fall in love gradually, without realizing it's even happening. There are those who fall in love quickly and carelessly with everyone they meet. There are those who fall in love with their best friend and those who fall in love with the girl with the glasses in a coffee shop far away from home.

 

There is falling in love and then there is falling _on people_ ,  which is a very different concept entirely. But for the purposes of this story, there’s no need to think about falling in love quite yet. Falling on people, however....

 

“I am so sorry, oh my god, are you okay?” Jason exclaims, scrambling off of the green eyed boy. He dusts off his jeans as he stands up, then extends a hand to the boy he’d previously been on top of. The boy takes it and Jason helps him up with the sudden realization that _wow all of him is cute, not just his eyes._

 

The boy laughs at Jason’s concern. “I’m fine. Better, now that I happened to run into a new friend.”

 

Before Jason gets the chance to reply, Piper finally has made it to the pair. “Percy, hey!” she says as she throws her arms around him.

 

‘Is this the guy Piper was talking about?’ he wonders. Percy. The only “Percy” Jason knows is Percy Weasley, and well this guy was definitely not Percy Weasley.

 

His black fringe hung over his forehead, stopping at the tips of his lashes. In perfect James Dean fashion, Percy wore a black leather jacket. That’s where the comparison ended. Instead of rolled up blue jeans and boots, Percy wears tight black skinny jeans and white high top converse. Under his jacket is a Bring Me the Horizon T-shirt. He’s almost Jason’s height, falling just an inch or two below his.

 

He hugs Piper back warmly. “I wasn't sure you would make it!" When he speaks Jason notices the two piercings on his lower lip- _snake bites?_ Jason wonders. He's heard the term, but isn't quite sure if that's what these two piercings are called.

 

"Is Annabeth here?" Piper inquires immediately upon the release of their embrace. Percy nods and points back from the direction he'd come from. He opens his mouth to speak, but Piper gives him a quick peck on the cheek and rushes off in her search for Annabeth.

 

Jason resists the urge to call out to her, knowing it would be in vain. Piper is infatuated with this girl, and nothing would stop her from seeing her (even if it means leaving her best friend with a cute but slightly menacing stranger).

 

Said stranger gives him a look that either says " _wow look at that cutie off to find true love_ " or " _now that she's gone I'm going to stab you_." Jason's not sure. The snakebites are throwing him off.

 

"So you must be Jason," Percy says with a warm smile. _Okay probably not the latter then_. "Pipers mentioned you a couple times," he explains. “Well, a lot of times actually.”

 

 _Piper talks about him?_ Jason's mind immediately jumps to all the embarrassing things that he's ever done in the past 2 years he's lived here. _Oh god, if Piper told him the story about that time at the petting zoo-_

 

"All good things," Percy adds, catching the worry in Jason's eyes. Jason relaxes.

 

"Well that's good."

 

Percy laughs, showing off his bright teeth again. _He also has a tongue ring_ , Jason notices.

 

"So you want to learn how to skateboard?" Percy asks, picking up Jason's skateboard. Jason shrugs, but before he can answer, Percy's leading him to an area of the tunnel he hasn't been before.

 

“So…” Jason tries to make small talk as they walk.

 

“So?”

 

“Um, how’s your day going so far?” Jason asks, cringing at his own attempt at conversation. _Wow, Grace, way to look like a complete idiot in front of the cute boy,_ he thinks to himself.

 

Percy glances at him like he’s just told a hilarious joke. “Pretty good. Yours?”

 

“Great,” Jason says, too busy trying not to run into people skateboarding around him to come up with a better answer.

 

They reach what looks like an office building and Percy walks right in like he owns the place. There's a desk with a computer and a chair behind it. There's a filing cabinet (no idea what that's for, Jason thinks) in the corner, but instead of the walls being decorated with cat posters or small children like most offices, a collage of band posters and famous skaters cover the room.

 

There are also sticky notes and flyers lined up on a cork board on the wall opposite the desk. While Percy goes into a closet Jason hadn't seen before, the younger boy reads some of the notes left on the board. “ _Have a good day!!_ ” was written in pink and next to it was a note that read “ ** _Smile, You’re Beautiful <3_**” in thick black sharpie. Other notes had other nice messages on them, wishing Jason a wonderful life as well as reminding him of both the inner and outer beauty he possessed.

 

“It’s the Positivity Board,” Percy explains as he returns, carrying a large cardboard box. “People write nice things, it’s supposed to make people feel better? I don’t know- it’s dumb,” Percy shrugs. He sets the box on the desk with a thud.

 

Jason shakes his head and runs the tips of his fingers across the notes. “No, I like it.”

 

He turns to ask what’s in the box and finds Percy smiling at him softly. _Wow, he’s pretty,_ Jason’s brain tells him. _Shut up, I know,_ Jason replies.

 

“So what’s in the box?” Jason asks out loud. Instead of speaking, Percy answers him by pulling out a small pink helmet decorated with tiny purple flowers.

 

“Little girls belongings?”

 

Percy sticks his tongue out at him and Jason gets another glimpse of his tongue ring. How somebody who looks so hostile could have such an adorable personality is something Jason will never understand. “Safety equipment,” Percy corrects. He tosses the helmet back in the box and grabs another one.

 

This helmet is larger and a dark blue color. Percy plops it onto Jason’s head, despite his protests. It fits surprisingly well, and Percy adjusts the strap under his chin.

 

“How does it fit?” he asks, tugging on the strap a bit. Percy’s face is right in front of his and Jason wonders if the other boy understands how close they are. He backs up and undoes the strap.

 

“It’s fine, but I’m not wearing it,” Jason says, lifting the helmet from his hair. Percy frowns.

 

“What do you mean you’re not wearing it?” Percy demands.

 

“I’ll look stupid,” Jason says, trying to hand it back to Percy. He doesn’t take it. “Besides, nobody else is wearing one,” he points out.

 

Percy rolls his eyes and grabs the helmet. “Nobody else is skating for the first time, now be a good boy and put the helmet on.” He shoves it back on and redoes the strap.

 

He curls up his fist and raps his knuckles on the hard plastic, causing Jason to shove him away. Percy hands Jason his skateboard, then grabs his own from behind the desk and saunters out the doorway. When Jason doesn’t immediately follow, Percy sticks his head back through the doorway.

 

“You coming?” he asks, his green eyes sparkling.

 

Jason follows.

 

\--

 

Percy is a much better teacher than Piper.

 

Jason finds this out quickly, as rather than telling him to “just get on and go,” Percy takes the time to explain the mechanics of skateboarding in a way Jason can understand. They start out slowly when Jason is finally allowed on the skateboard. Percy helps him keep his balance by winding an arm around his waist. If he’s being honest, Jason is pretty certain he could balance a lot better without Percy’s arm, but he likes the closeness.

 

Percy’s fingers relax to rest just above the small of his back and Jason can feel the slight pressure through the thin fabric of his sweatshirt. He holds his arms out and is able to maintain his balance while Percy pushes him gently.

 

“You okay?” Percy asks. He stops them and holds Jason in place with both hands.

 

“I think I’m getting the hang of it, actually.”

 

Percy let’s go of him. “How about now?” He asks.

 

Jason wobbles a bit in an attempt to move, but the board slips from under him, and he falls forward, directly into Percy’s arms. Percy catches him with ease and the board rolls off behind him, forgotten for the time being.

 

“Hey,” Jason smiles into the leather of Percy’s jacket.

 

“Hi,” Percy says, grinning back at him.

 

They stand in their awkward position for what seems like forever.

 

“Hey, Perce!” somebody shouts, running up to the pair. They immediately separate and Jason goes to find his skateboard. When he returns, he sees Percy talking to a girl with long black hair.

 

She points to a boy about ten feet away (her brother, maybe?), who couldn’t be over 13 and was currently trying to hide himself in the gray beanie atop his head. “He’s super into skateboarding and really wants to see you in action! He even has a picture of you on his wall!”

 

Jason watches as the boy slides down the wall, and hugs his knees to his chest as though trying to make himself invisible. Percy’s face is turning pink as the girl continues about how “he just _idolizes_ you” and Jason is starting to really feel for this kid. He can’t imagine how embarrassed he must be. Percy puts a hand up to stop her and walks over to where Jason is.

 

“Hey,” Percy says, leaning in to whisper in his ear.

 

“Hey,” Jason replies softly.

 

“So apparently the kid thinks I’m famous and wants to see me skate. Would you mind taking a break from your lesson?”

 

Jason glances over his shoulder at the boy in the beanie. He’s staring wide-eyed at him and Percy, a bit enviously.   _He definitely has a crush_ , Jason thinks, backing away. “No problem,” he says, smiling at the boy.

 

 _“Don’t worry,”_ he mouths. _“-just friends,_ ” he continues, pointing to Percy without the older boy noticing. The boy in the beanie blushes darkly and looks away.

 

Percy gives him a slap on the back before kicking his board up and making his way over to the young boy. Jason’s out of earshot, but he sees Percy kneel and say something that excites the kid. They both stand up and Percy walks him over to one of the larger half pipes.

 

Percy climbs up to the top and sits patiently for a crowd to gather, his board lying across his knees. Jason rolls his eyes as people excitedly rush over to watch whatever the great Percy Jackson plans to do.

 

And then he joins them.

 

Percy sits on the end rail as the crowd gathers, contemplating over what speed and shit he’s gonna do. Once he has decided his audience is large enough, he stands and takes a quick bow before putting the tail of his board onto the ramp and taking off. His hair whipped in the wind as he gained speed. When he reaches the other end, he grabs the edge with one hand and, while balancing, clutches the board with his other. He brings his board back down in time to skate to the other side.

 

He hops onto the edge this time, and balances on it with his board, before hopping off. Jason hears the ‘ _swoosh’_ of Percy’s jacket as he flies by. When he makes it to the other side, he lifts his board, catching some air, and goes back down as the crowd roars. He does another handstand then slides down as the other kids applaud.

 

Percy runs a hand through his messy hair as he accepts the applause with grace. He pushes through the crowd to get to Jason and grabs his hand. “C’mon,” he says. They go to a table with more coolers. Percy pulls out two water bottles of water and hands one to Jason.

 

The girl from earlier and the boy in the beanie walk by. “Did you see that?” the boy exclaims. “He got like TEN feet in the air!”

 

Percy chuckles. “It wasn’t over four and a half, but he doesn’t have to know that,” he says quietly so only Jason can hear. The boy in the beanie continues to fangirl over Percy as he and his sister walk by. Percy smiles after them.

 

“You ready to ride again?”

 

Jason nods.

 

They spend the next thirty minutes trying to work on Jason’s balance. Percy doesn’t hold him by the waist anymore, and though it’s a lot more practical, he does kind of miss the feeling it gave him.

 

Percy stands about five feet away from him and tells Jason to try to skate to him on his own.

 

“Alright but if I fall on you again, I’m not catching myself this time,” Jason warns.

 

“Note taken.”

 

Jason puts his left foot on the board and gently pushes off with his right. His speed is more controlled this time, and he slowly glides over to Percy. The older boy moves a few steps back and steadies him once he slows to a stop.

 

“I did it!” Jason shouts. “Did you see that? I didn’t fall this time!”

 

“Hell yeah, you didn’t!” Percy replies with just as much enthusiasm.

 

“I’m _so_ going pro,” Jason says with mock confidence. Percy shakes his head and smiles. He then looks straight at Jason with a mischievous glint in his bright green eyes. Jason only has the time to think ‘ _oh shit’_ before Percy pushes him and he finds himself skating backwards.

 

The board wobbles a bit, but this time Jason is able to jump off without falling. He glares at Percy. “Dude, what the fuck?!”

 

Said boy is doubled over in laughter. “Sorry,” he says in between bursts of laughter. “-but, _god_ , you’re face- when you realized what was happening- oh god, I’m sorry bro, I promise.” He wipes tears out of eyes, and Jason doubts the validity of his apology.

“But really dude,” he says, still catching his breath from his outburst. “if you wanna go pro, you gotta keep your chill. And practice. A lot.”

 

Jason picks up his board and walks over to Percy. “Well then, let’s get back to it.”

 

\--

 

“I want to show you something,” Percy announces suddenly.

 

They’ve been practicing for a while and Jason has improved if he says so himself. He hasn’t seen Piper since she left over an hour ago to find Annabeth.

 

By this time, it has to be getting close to 6:30. Jason curses himself for not leaving a note on the dry erase board at home saying that he was going out for a bit. His parents are going to be waking up soon and wonder where he is. Jason’s thoughts are lost, though, when Percy takes his wrist and pulls him along.

 

His helmet falls off his head when Percy starts running, and Jason almost trips over his own feet. Many people have left by now, but about 30 remain, some napping, some eating, a few still skating. They make it to an area near the mouth of the tunnel.

 

There are a few people around here too. One guy is leaning against the inner wall, smoking a cigarette. Percy wrinkles his nose in disgust.

 

“Dude,” he calls to the guy. “Get that out of here. If you want to get lung cancer, do it at home.”

 

The guy rolls his eyes and puts out the cigarette with the heel of his boot. There’s a trash can near the opening of the tunnel that the dude utilizes for his half smoked cigarette.  He leaves, and Percy follows him with a glare and a single nod.

 

Percy then leads Jason over to the right side of the tunnel where a closed door stands. Behind the door is a staircase that leads up to an unknown destination. “Leave your board here, it’ll be fine,” Percy says, leaning his board against the wall.

 

Jason goes up first. When he reaches the top, there's a latch above his head. He pushes open the latch and is met with the cool air from outside. He pulls himself up out, onto the top of the tunnel, and moves so Percy so can come up too.

 

All around him is the beginning of the break of dawn. Percy joins him, and closes the latch behind him. The sun is just beginning to appear over the tops of houses and trees in the distance. A slight breeze sends a chill through Jason, causing him to give a slight shiver.

 

“You’re cold,” Percy notices.

 

“Well, yeah, it’s pretty chilly out here, if you hadn’t noticed.”

 

Percy takes off his leather jacket and tosses it in Jason’s lap. “Here,” he says.

 

“Percy, I’m not taking your jacket,” Jason objects, handing the jacket back to him.

 

“ _Take it_ ,” Percy insists, shoving it into Jason’s arms.

 

“ _No_ , I don’t want it,” Jason replies with just as much force. He drops it into Percy’s lap and crosses his arms, determined to warm himself with his body heat alone. This time Percy just shrugs and put his jacket back on.

 

There’s a ten minute standoff of Jason trying to appear unaffected by the breeze and Percy pretending he isn’t noticing that Jason is totally being affected by the breeze. Jason pulls his sleeves over his hands and turns away from Percy so the older boy doesn’t see. He’s trying to enjoy the sun continue to cast beautiful shades of pink and blue across the gray sky, when a sharp gust of wind breaks through his defenses and he feels a chill straight to the bone.

 

“... I think I’ll take that jacket now.”

 

Percy hands it to him without a word, save for the smug smirk on his face. Jason shrugs it on and refuses to look him in the eye. Percy laughs then, and Jason decides he wants to hear that again, and makes a promise to himself not to let this be the last time he sees the other boy. The sun continues to rise.

 

And that’s the first time Jason’s seen the sunrise with somebody at his side to enjoy it.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY I'm back!! as you may have noticed, I've added a lot of tags/warnings etc. I've decided where I want to take the story, and it's going to be pretty heavy at some points. If you;re uncomfortable with that I;m super sorry and please don't read anything that might trigger you! if you have any questions you can contact me in the comments or send me an ask on my blog (artem-ace.tumblr.com) and i'll let you know what's going on. If enough people want a relatively angst free, safe fic then i will definitely consider having an alternate ending.
> 
> Anyway please tell me what you think, I love anybody who decided to read this fic, you're all great! ily<3


	3. Cocaine, Dollar Bills, and My Happy Little Pill(s)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Description: Part three of the Jercy skateboarding au. This chapter tells us a bit more about Jason’s character. 
> 
> warnings: language, medication/pills

Certain sayings are used by those considered elite in their community. Other sayings can be heard between the shouting and declarations of  _“you’re it!”_  by small children at a local park. One of these sayings goes as follows: “Secrets don’t make friends.”

Secrets may not make friends but the truth may destroy existing ones.

Jason has a secret.

After the sun had risen, Jason had given Percy the jacket back, with his number on an old movie ticket he found in the pocket. Now he jogs on the sidewalk along his street, the dull thud of his feet on the pavement the only sound alive at this hour.

It was a Saturday, the one day of the week the entire neighborhood slept in. His phone is ringing non stop in his back pocket, but he isn’t prepared to speak to his parents just yet. They’re going to be pissed enough as it is, so he better come up with a better story than “I snuck out of the house to party with my best friend’s weird skater punk squad lol.”

He’d been unable to find Piper by the time he had to leave. _‘I’ll text her when I get home,’_  he thinks. Anything that could make him later than he already is would have to be avoided at all costs.

When he sees the familiar yellow bricks of his two story house, Jason slows to a walk to mentally and emotionally prepare himself for whatever is going to happen.

The door opens just as he reaches for the handle, exposing a 6 foot 3 broad shouldered man in a suit, his face stricken with worry. His dad.

“Jason?” A flashbulb of emotions crosses his blue irises: disbelief, relief, and finally, anger.

“What the hell, where have you been? We wake up to find your bed unmade, no note on the board, your-”

“I was going out for my morning run.” Playing it cool seems like the best option for the time being. It wasn’t like Jason didn’t go out for a run every morning, and what teenager makes up his bed every morning? Well, Jason usually did, but that’s beside the point.

“In your jeans?”

Shit.

“I need to do laundry.” he lies with a shrug. He washed his clothes yesterday, and if his dad were to go into his room right now he would find all of Jason’s shirts hanging in his closet, ironed and organized according to sleeve length and color. His pants were neatly folded and in his dresser, along with his socks and underwear.

But his father didn’t need to know that.

“Just get in the house. I’m late for a meeting and your mother is about to call the police to look for you.”

With that the potential linebacker shoves past him and marches to his car, mumbling under his breath. Jason sighs as he pulls out of the driveway and hesitates in the doorway before entering. Out of habit he takes a minute to remove his shoes and set them side by side next to the wall of the foyer.

He walks into the kitchen to find his mother speaking into a phone, her voice rising in the way only a desperate mother’s can.

“Mom?”

She drops the phone immediately at the sound of his voice. Who ever is on the other line is trying to get her attention, and she breaks her shocked stare away from him in order to answer it.

“-No, no, I- I’m here, he’s home, I’m so sorry for bothering you, thank you so much!” She hangs up the phone this time and rushes to Jason, throwing her arms around him immediately. Her grip is vice-like and Jason can feel his lungs constricting.

Jason breathes again when she pulls away to rest a palm against his cheek, admiring the face of her not-dead son.

“Now excuse my language, but where the fuck have you been?” His mom speaks in a soft tone but her eyes are ablaze.

“Jogging?” Jason answers as nonchalantly as he can while she glares at him. When she releases her hold on his face, he immediately turns away, opting instead to raid the refrigerator for breakfast. He pulls out the carton of orange juice and sets it on the counter to find an empty glass and a plastic case, a transparent shade of purple.

His mother’s polished nails clack on the counter top next to the items, and Jason’s pupils move from her fingers, up her blazer donned arm and up to her deep red frown.

She pushes the case forward with her index finger. “You always take your pills before you go out.” Jason knows she’s doing her best to sound angry but he can see how worried she is.

“I forgot.” He pours the orange juice into the glass, filling it half way. His mom takes the carton from him and twists the cap back on.

Jason hears the door of the refrigerator open and close as he stares at the untouched drink. “I’m fine, I promise.”

“Jason, you haven’t forgotten in months-”

“-I know-”

“-if something is happening we need to discuss it as soon as possible, I don’t want another repeat of-”

“Mom!” At Jason’s raised voice, she pauses, finally giving him the chance to speak. “I’m fine really. I just forgot. I’m seventeen, I’m allowed to forget sometimes.”

He touches this glass with hesitation and brings it up to his lips. Neither of them say a word as he takes a sip of the orange juice. His father has always told him that he has his mother’s eyes, but hers are just a touch darker than his own baby blue ones. Though, he supposes his dad may mean the stubbornness hiding behind them.

She holds his gaze as he lowers his glass from his mouth down to the cold counter top. The silence breaks with the clink of the glass on the tiled surface.

“You’re right.” Jason releases a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. She sighs and falls onto one of the bar stools permanently stuck to the floor of their kitchen.

Jason takes another, less tense, sip of his orange juice. “You know, sometimes I forget that you’re still a kid. If it ever gets too much, just talk to me alright? Talking- talking is important.”

An alarm sounds, a loud beeping from her phone. A message scrolls across the top:  **FIVE MINUTES.**  She taps okay, shutting off the attack on Jason’s ear drums. She has to leave for her job soon.

“How’s the case?” Jason asks, in a half hearted attempt at conversation before she has to leave for work.

Being a lawyer had its perks, if his mother’s paycheck was anything to go by, but her clients did occupy most of her time, and was the only thing she could talk about.

“It’s a mess.” She pulls a water bottle out of her purse and takes a swig before getting off the stool and smoothing out her hair. “Marijuana. Again. Kids already been caught and let off twice, and he still was found selling behind the gas station on Jefferson. Doesn’t even smoke, just sells apparently. Won’t give any names as to where he got it. I wouldn’t take a case this hopeless if his parents weren’t offering a price that I can hardly say no to.”

Her heels are lying next to her briefcase in the hallway and she slips them on as she talks. “Don’t ever do drugs, Jason,” she says suddenly, turning to him. “And if you do, don’t be stupid about it. I sure as hell won’t defend you in court.”

Jason nods his head in obedience. He’s never felt the urge of experimenting with drugs, and he doubts he ever will, considering the animosity he carries for the pills he has to swallow every morning. With a quick goodbye and a peck on the cheek, she grabs her purse and briefcase and heads out the door.

“Love you!” she calls over her shoulder, not waiting for Jason’s mumbled response.  The door closes with a click and Jason stares at it for a while before returning to the counter.

On the tiled surface, the purple container sits, calling him over. He runs his fingers over it. The container has a smooth texture, aside from a long white scratch that ran from Wednesday to Friday, from when Jason dropped it on the hardwood floor when they first moved into the house almost two years ago.

 _Pop._  The container opens, revealing three pills, two pink, one white. Two colors that dominate his life.

 _‘You wouldn’t be here without us,’_  the pills insist from the compartment labeled “Saturday.” _‘You_ need _us. We are in control.’_

“Don’t remind me,” he says aloud, shaking the pills into his hand then dry swallowing them. The orange juice is still sitting on the counter, half full and waiting to be consumed. It goes down the drain of their stainless steel kitchen sink. Jason’s lost his appetite.

There are 27 steps up to the second floor of the house and Jason counts them as he ascends. Each step is heavier than the first and when he finally reaches his room he collapses onto the bed. His phone goes off again and he groans into the empty room before pulling it out of his pocket.

It’s Piper. What a shocker.

“Hey, Pipes,” he answers, suppressing a yawn. Getting less than four hours of sleep last night wasn’t the best decision he’s ever made. Still, waking up before dawn wasn’t exactly his idea in the first place, and the actual evil was on the other end of the line.

“Guess what?” Her voice is excited, but quiet, leading Jason to believe she had made it home somehow and was crawling back into her room, attempting not to wake her father.

He doesn’t get the chance to guess when she immediately follows with her big surprise: “I just had sex with Annabeth!”

“Oh my god, Piper.” His head is pounding, and he really didn’t need for his best friend to call him and let him know about her intimate encounters. “Did you really have to call me to let me know _that?”_

He kicks his shoes off, first the left, then the right, and they fall to the floor. Piper’s voice cuts through the fogginess of his headache. “Well  _excuse_  me for being excited about losing my V-card and getting a girlfriend on the same night,” she counters. Jason is about to remind her that it had happened this morning when he realizes what she’d said.

“Oh, shit, I forgot you were a virgin.” Piper hums sarcastically in response. “Well, congrats, I guess? Also, Annabeth is super cool and I know you like her so I’m, like, super happy for you.”

His eyelids are threatening to close and Jason struggles to string together a coherent sentence. Piper picks up on it.

“You okay, Jase?”

“I’m tired.” This statement is punctuated with a yawn. “I think I’m going to take a nap actually.”

Naps aren’t part of Jason’s daily routine, but neither is waking up in the middle of the morning to hang out with strangers in an underground skate park.

“Wait!” Piper shouts into the phone, causing the pain in Jason’s head to escalate about 30000%. “I forgot to ask. How did the thing with Percy go?”

Oh god,  _Percy._  Jason had almost forgotten about him. Between lying to his parents and the metaphorical knife being driven into the back of his school, his time spent with Percy on top of the tunnel seemed like days, even weeks ago. It’d been like  _maybe_  an hour.

“Yeah, that’s a story for later.” The fogginess is starting to take over his brain, and he can hardly think of another thing than  _sleep._

“Listen, Piper, I really can’t talk right now. I’ll call you later?” He doesn’t wait for a response. With that, he presses “end call” with his thumb and places his phone on the nightstand.

And that’s the first time Jason falls asleep before his head hits the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello i am back. sorry for dying. keeping this short bc this has been a bitch to upload and im not typing out those notes again. 
> 
> Reviews appreciated. 
> 
> tumblr: artem-ace.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo have I made you throw up with the green eyes cliche yet?? haha so apparently people like this fic on tumblr and now people have high expectations and I;m really under pressure to meet those expectations so either this fic will be great or I'll freak out and come up with a bs ending who knows join me in this adventure :P I will try to update on thursdays bc i've decided that Jercy Thursdays are a thing. so yeah pls review and I'll love you till the end of time^.^
> 
> tumblr:  
> main blog (fics/writing updates will be published here first) - artem-ace.tumblr.com  
> pjo blog - demi-will-solace.tumblr.com


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